


Heart Stop

by cunning_wreck, serendipitousDescent



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Post-Canon, savage!Sakura, terrified!Tenzo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 18:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10882932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cunning_wreck/pseuds/cunning_wreck, https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitousDescent/pseuds/serendipitousDescent
Summary: Tenzō rolls over, glancing out the window at the sunrise. He’s been awake for a while now, just thinking.  He leans back and looks at the figure silently lying next to him, peacefully asleep. Tenzō brushes away a strand of pink hair from her face and gazes contentedly. Honestly, he’s the luckiest man in Konoha.





	Heart Stop

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, I should be working on Overturn instead of this. Plus writing M/F is definitely out of the ordinary for me, but this is something I've been writing over the last couple weeks with a friend... who has neither an ao3 or a tumblr lol. Enjoy!

Tenzō rolls over, glancing out the window at the sunrise. He’s been awake for a while now, just thinking. As the fiery sunlight filters into the room through the open window, he sighs a deep breath, remembering the events of the past few weeks as though they were a blur of excitement and adrenaline. He leans back and looks at the figure silently lying next to him, peacefully asleep. Tenzō brushes away a strand of pink hair from her face and gazes contentedly. Honestly, he’s the luckiest man in Konoha. That’s about the only thing he can say with certainty at this point. Well, also that today might change everything.

* * *

“Hello everyone. I’m your new jonin captain, Yamato. I’ll be taking over for Kakashi-sempai while he’s in the hospital.” Tenzō looks around at the oddball team he’s facing. 

Naruto Uzumaki is perhaps the most prolific of the three, as the Kyuubi jinchuuriki and the son of Minato Namikaze. Tenzō knows his hands will be full with this one. He didn’t need Kakashi-senpai’s warning to know that Naruto is notorious throughout the village. There are few people who don’t remember the havoc he spread as a child, and even fewer who haven’t heard about Naruto’s attempts to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to the village. 

The other two are more of a mystery to him, especially Sai. All Tenzō really knows is that Sai was once a part of ROOT. His pale face, devoid of any expression, gives Tenzō the creeps, though that is only to be expected given his upbringing--the training they have in common. 

And Sakura Haruno, the girl Kakashi-senpai described as the firecracker kunoichi who keeps Naruto in line. He will need her to be the foundation that keeps this team solid and prevents the Kyuubi from manifesting. Though Naruto and Sai are both striking in their own ways, Sakura is completely different from either of them. 

Tenzō thinks back to what Kakashi-senpai said about her. “She’s brilliant with chakra control, but more than that, she has a big heart. She really cares for Sasuke and Naruto, and I’m sure that will extend to you and Sai once she gets to know you. But, you have to earn her trust and respect.” 

Tenzō pulls himself from his daze just in time to see Naruto and Sai at each other’s throats and Sakura forcing herself in between them. He’s about to do something when Sakura punches both of them, and they separate, their foreheads already red and swelling. She clearly has the situation under control. And she’s terrifying. 

But she’s terrifying in a good way. The sort of terror that will, at the very least, keep Naruto and Sai in line. She is Tsunade’s apprentice, but Tenzō doesn’t think he realized what that meant until now, as he gapes at the three of them. That sort of power can only come from amazingly precise chakra control, not to mention that she does it seemingly without effort. 

“Okay,” he sighs. “Let’s get going, and try not to kill each other before the mission even starts. And thanks, Sakura. Please keep an eye on those two.” Sakura nods, making eye contact with him, the faint traces of a smile on her lips, and his stomach clenches. Anticipation for the mission? But Tenzo doesn’t normally get this anxious before a regular mission, but perhaps it’s because the risks are so high. There’s a chance of Naruto turning into the Kyuubi, and they will be in close proximity to Konoha’s most dangerous missing nin, Orochimaru. Yes, that must be it. 

“Hey, I don’t need-” 

“Naruto, stop,” Sakura interrupts and then she turns towards Sai, a smile spreading across her face. “Please forgive Naruto for me.” 

Sai tilts his head to one side, no hint of emotion behind his own smile. “Of course, forgiving him will lead to better teamwork, and that will make it easier to achieve our mission objectives.”

“Just don’t feel the need to forgive me.” 

In the blink of an eye, Sakura closes the space between them, swinging the most powerful right hook Tenzō has seen since Gai decided to destroy Training Ground #4 with his bare hands. Sai falls to the ground, dazed, though Tenzō is just as surprised as if he had been on the other end of that punch. That speed… that power. She really is incredible. Who is this Sakura Haruno?

Fractures like these are the exact things that will make the situation between the four of them deteriorate. He can’t just stand here, staring open mouthed at Sakura. He has to act. Shit. Tenzō claps his hands together, wood bursting from the ground to form a prison around the three of them from his mokuton.

“Hey!” Naruto yells out at him. “What’s the big idea with this jutsu?” 

“Can it!” Sakura yells at him. Her eyes narrow on Tenzō, and his blood runs cold. “This is mokuton. How can you use this? To my knowledge, only the first Hokage could use this jutsu.” 

“It’s true that this is the jutsu of the first Hokage, and I’m the only other person who can use it.” Sakura’s jaw drops as she peers out at him. Tenzō chuckles to himself. She’s not the only one who has tricks up their sleeves.

* * *

A groan at his side brings his attention back to the present. Tenzō gazes silently as Sakura rolls onto her back and blearily opens her eyes, only to shut them again at the onslaught of sunshine. She is just as beautiful now as she had been last night, even with mascara smeared beneath her eyes. Neither of them really took the time to get ready for bed last night.

“Good morning, Captain.” Tenzō's face goes beet red. 

“You’re not going to make today any easier are you?” he sighs as Sakura laughs and stretches, opening her eyes again to peek at him. 

“Right, we have lunch with Naruto and Sai today.” Tenzō nods, clenching his fists anxiously. Sakura leans over and clasps them in her own hands, smiling up at him. “For a former ANBU, you really do get caught up in your own head. I’m sure it’ll be great. And if not, I’ll just smack Naruto, because that’ll most likely solve whatever problems arise.” 

Tenzō laughs, and his hands relax. He looks sideways at her, and he can’t quite believe that he’s so lucky.

“Besides, the two of them don’t have enough working brain cells between them to realize anything’s different from usual,” Sakura continues, her smile momentarily slipping into a smirk before she looks back up at him. “I don’t think Naruto even realizes that Hinata likes him.” 

“That’s true.” Tenzō nods, smiling at the thought of the knuckle-headed Naruto realizing that people actually like him. “Okay, we should get ready to go. It’s already eleven.” 

Sakura blinks, looking over at the clock on the nightstand. “Oh, wow, I didn’t think I’d sleep this late. I’m sorry if you were waiting for me to wake up for too long.” 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Sakura laughs and leans up to kiss his rapidly-heating cheeks. “I didn’t mind in the least.”

* * *

“Why do we have to hide in the bushes?” Naruto complains as Sai, Sakura, and him crouch in the foliage while Tenzō waits on the bridge. 

“We’re the back-up, you moron!” Sakura looks down at Tenzō and sighs. “Besides, I’m a medic ninja, so I have to stay back. Yamato-taichou made that very clear before.” 

Naruto huffs lightly and leans forward to get a better look. “We could have used disguises too.”

“But the spy only expects Sasori, so our cover would be blown almost immediately. You do want to find Sasuke, don’t you?” 

“It appears our informant has arrived,” Sai says, cutting off their conversation. 

All three of them tense and peer over the bushes. As the spy approaches the middle of the bridge, Tenzō moves towards them, and Sakura’s grip on her kunai tightens. 

On the bridge, Tenzō resists the urge to glance behind him at Sakura and the others, hidden in the forest. He can’t give away their position. Instead, he focuses on the cloaked figure approaching him. 

They only have one shot at this, so he waits for the informant to start the conversation. At least that falls into what Sakura told him about Sasori’s mannerisms the night before, and he trusts her keen observational skills. 

“Sasori-san, it’s been a long five years,” the informant says, pulling down his hood. 

While Tenzō has never met Kabuto before, he recognizes the man in front of him as one of Orochimaru’s accomplices. The one that had infiltrated Konoha and led to the Third’s death, even. That makes this both easier and more difficult to deal with, for while he’s been briefed on what little information Konoha knows about Kabuto, he can only imagine the reaction taking place behind him. 

“Kabuto!” 

Sakura slaps a hand to Naruto’s mouth to keep him from shouting. “Be quiet! We still have to stay hidden until Yamato-taichou gives the signal.” 

Back on the bridge, Tenzō remains tense, waiting for Kabuto to make the first move, which will decide whether or not he believes Tenzō's disguise. 

“We’ll have to make this quick, or Orochimaru will notice I’m gone.” 

From the bushes, Sakura and Naruto gasp audibly as Kabuto slashes Tenzō's disguise, shattering pieces across the bridge. In a moment, Orochimaru is at his side, laughing. Naruto is already jumping out of the bushes when Tenzō signals for them to come, and Sakura is close behind.

The situation quickly deteriorates. Keeping the Kyuubi at bay turns out to be one thing, while keeping Naruto from attacking their only source of information is entirely another. The only thing on his mind seems to be Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke. Tenzō grimaces as Naruto chases after Orochimaru, bringing his hands together in a seal as wood bursts from the side of the chasm to keep the bridge from falling. 

Sakura, knocked unconscious, slips close to the destroyed edge of the bridge. “Sai! Sai-” Tenzō screams, trying to get his attention, but Sai is already airborne, flying after Naruto and Orochimaru on his ink-beast. “Catch her!”

Sakura starts to slip over the rough edge of the bridge, her skirt caught on a sliver of wood that quickly gives way. She plummets down as Sai flies away, leaving Tenzō to deal with Sakura and the crumbling bridge all at once. He just manages to catch her, his wood jutsu curling around her waist, and with a sigh of relief, he pulls her back onto the bridge next to him, panting and leaning over her to wake her up.

Leaving Sakura here alone and unconscious isn’t even an option for Tenzō, but neither is letting Naruto roam free as he fights against Orochimaru. He sends a clone off to chase after Naruto, Sai, and Orochimaru, while he stays with Sakura. Her injuries don’t seem too serious, probably just a bump to the back of her head. It is enough to make him worry though, crouched at her side as he waits for her to regain consciousness, his arm cradled around her neck to support her head. 

Tenzō watches the colour return to Sakura’s cheeks, exhaling quietly. Thank god. She slowly opens her eyes as she groans, and Tenzō looks, momentarily distracted by the sun brightening up her face. 

“Yamato-taichou?” Tenzō helps her sit up, his hand on the small of her pack, providing what he hopes is a reassuring pressure. “What’s going on? Where’s Naruto and Orochimaru?”

“They’re-” 

Tenzō is cut off by the sound of trees crashing not too far away, and the feeling of something crawling against his skin. Both of them look towards the source, just in time to see the Kyuubi’s chakra tearing straight through the side of the chasm. All that’s left is a crater and what appears to be Orochimaru still standing just out of harm’s way. 

In an instant, the Kyuubi’s tails whip around, crashing into more trees. He crawls up out of the chasm, and before Tenzō can even react, Sakura is up and approaching it.

“Naruto?” she calls, causing Tenzō's heartbeat to accelerate to the point of bursting. 

“Sakura, don’t approach him!” But he isn’t quick enough. One of the tails whips around, hitting her and sending her flying. Tenzō's legs finally react, and he rushes over to try and stop her fall, catching her in his arms as they are pushed back by the momentum. How could he have let this happen? He’s supposed to be the one keeping the tailed beast reigned in and protecting Sakura, their only medic ninja. And, of course, Sai--the team member he is supposed to be watching--has snuck away with Orochimaru, though at least his clone is tailing them. 

“Sakura!” Tenzō looks down at her as she holds her injured arm. It looks bad. He has to make sure she’s okay, but he also has to stop Naruto before he develops any more tails. Setting her down and crouching over her protectively, Tenzō braces his wrist with his other hand to perform the jutsu that will reverse the Kyuubi’s transformation. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Tenzō sees Kabuto reaching towards Sakura. 

“Don’t worry so much, Captain.” Kabuto’s hands may be alight with green chakra but his tone is mocking. “I benefit much more from Sakura surviving than not. She might just take down another member or two of the Akatsuki if she sticks around, and that aids both me and Orochimaru.” 

Tenzō reluctantly lets Kabuto reach out to Sakura, but it’s not like he has another choice. His argument makes sense, or at least it would to people as twisted as Kabuto and Orochimaru. Letting your opponent live just to do your dirty work for you later on. But he feels relieved at the same time, because he wouldn’t be able to heal Sakura as well as Kabuto can, and he needs to focus his energy on restraining the Kyuubi. 

“Although I’m healing her, I don’t understand why she would approach Naruto in that state, knowing the danger.” Sakura balls her hands into fists as a tear rolls down her cheek, more in frustration than pain.

Tenzō grimaces at Kabuto’s snide remark. “I know you’ve met Naruto before.”

“I have. That doesn’t make Naruto any less of a regular person, if not a bit more charismatic than most,” Kabuto interjects. 

The conversation between them falls short at the sight of Sakura’s glare directed at Kabuto. Tenzō feels no need to share any insights into what makes Naruto grab people’s attention, especially not when he doesn’t entirely see it himself. Not to mention that Kabuto is an enemy, as well as one of the people who took Sasuke away from the village. The more he says, the more information Orochimaru can use against the village. 

Kabuto pulls himself up after a moment, the chakra fading from his hand. The light glints off of his glasses, hiding his eyes from sight. “I think this is my cue to leave now.” 

As Kabuto slinks into the shade of the trees, Tenzō pants, bracing his hands on his knees as Naruto, transformed back to normal, lays unconscious. He and Sakura rush over to where Naruto is lying on the ground, singed by chakra burns. Sakura reaches out to help, her hands lighting up with green chakra, but Tenzō gently places a hand on her shoulder.

“Sakura, you’re still injured. You shouldn’t use too much chakra.” Sakura glances sideways at him before applying her hands to Naruto’s chest to begin the healing process. 

“This- this is all I can do for him.” Her voice wavers, but her hands stay firm. “Naruto and Sasuke, they’re always ahead of me. I can’t catch up, but I can help, even if it’s in a small way.” Tenzō stares, wide eyed at the kunoichi in front of him. How can she say that when she’s so strong both physically and mentally? 

Tenzō shakes his head. “Sakura, you’re a truly strong ninja, and what’s more, you have a level of compassion that most teams could never dream of having. Those two are lucky to have you.” 

Sakura looks up at Tenzō's earnest face and smiles at the sincerity of his words, though her eyes betray her sadness. Tenzō's heart feels like it’s being squeezed. What is this feeling?

* * *

Their fingers nearly brush as they walk through the streets of Konoha. Tenzō almost gives into the urge to just grab her hand, everyone else and their sensibilities be damned, but something always stops him. That something is most certainly the threat of Kakashi finding out about him and Sakura from someone else, but he really doesn’t want to think about that right now. 

Sakura, sensing Tenzō's anxiety, looks sideways at him with concern. He looks back, attempting to act casual, but he’s never been good at that either. He isn’t even surprised when Sakura pushes him into an alleyway just to their right, hidden partially by a food vendor's cart, pressing him up against the cool wall of the building. 

“It’s going to be fine.” Sakura is close enough that she doesn’t have to raise her voice above a whisper to be heard. “We’re just going for ramen, anyways, just like we do all the time.” 

“Eating ramen has never had these stakes before,” Tenzō says, dryly. 

“You’ll be perfect. At least, I believe in you. Do you need anything else to get you through this?” 

Tenzō allows himself to smile faintly, playing with one of her strands of pink hair. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just always overthink these things.” 

“That’s what I’m here for.” She gives Tenzō one of her dazzling smiles that leaves him completely at a loss for air, and all he can do is pull her close and breathe in her scent. 

His gaze drops down to her lips after a moment, as he remembers what waking up next to her this morning felt like. Nothing has ever been quite so satisfying. Tenzō doesn’t know which of them leans in first, their lips meeting in the middle. He can feel the curve of her own smile as she loops her arms around his shoulders. The kiss lasts only for a moment before they part and come back together again, this time with more urgency. 

Both of them are completely lost in the moment until they hear someone approaching them from the entrance to the alley. They suddenly break apart, flattening themselves against opposing walls.

“Yamato-taicho, Ugly,” Sai says, his gaze flickering between the two of them, “I suppose it’s been awhile since either of you have had to report back to Kakashi-sensei.”

Tenzō splutters incoherently, staring at Sai as if he were a ghost.

Sakura is the first to make sense of the situation. “Sai, please-” 

“Please, what? It isn’t as if half the village doesn’t suspect that there’s something going on between you two.” Sai shrugs, passing between them without the slightest pause. “This is only confirmation.” 

Sakura glances from Tenzō back to Sai, wide eyed. Tenzō has seen this look in her eyes before, and he can already tell what she’s about to do. There isn’t even a point in trying to stop her. In a flash, she grabs Sai’s shirt, pinning him against the wall so hard even he manages a face of discomfort. 

It’s in moments like these that Tenzō is reminded of just how strong Sakura is. Her biceps are tense with the effort of keeping Sai in place, and he can’t quite help himself from gaping at how her strong arms fit so nicely with the curve of her hips. It barely takes anything for her to keep a grown man pinned to a wall. It might take even less for her to destroy one on the training grounds. His cheeks heat up as his thoughts inevitably wander towards just what it would feel like to be the man she’s set on destroying. The image should not be quite so appealing to him, but he knows it’s one that will be haunting his dreams for weeks, if not months to come.

“Just what are you planning to do with this information, you snake?” Sakura whispers, her voice filled with a sincere anger that makes Tenzō's hair stand on end. This is not good. 

“That depends.” Sai smiles, the emotion not quite reaching his eyes. “I see no benefit in uselessly spreading it, but neither is there a point in keeping it silent.” 

Sakura’s grip tightens on his shirt, her knuckles turning white. “Twenty-four hours.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Give us twenty-four hours to tell Kakashi-sensei, and we’ll buy you dinner wherever you like.” 

Tenzō leaps over to where Sakura has Sai pinned. He puts a hand on her shoulder and leans in, whispering, “Twenty-four hours? Are you crazy? I have to get my will in order first!” 

On the one hand, he’s absolutely terrified of the truth getting out, but on the other, it would be the most amazing thing to be able to walk down the street hand-in-hand with her, to sit on a bench with his arm around her somewhere, anywhere, to go out for a bite to eat without people giving them suspicious looks. It’s what he wants desperately, but he’s afraid. If Kakashi kills him, he won’t be able to actually live this dream. 

“Okay,” Tenzō sighs. “You’re right, Sakura. He’ll find out soon enough whether it’s Sai or someone else that tells him.” He looks directly into her eyes, sparkling with adrenaline, “I can do this.”

“Okay, you can go to Kakashi-sensei’s directly from the ramen shop.” Tenzō gulps but nods. Sakura’s grip on Sai loosens, but she doesn’t let go entirely. 

“Do we have a deal?” 

Sai inclines his chin. “Yes, we have a deal.” 

Sakura maintains eye contact for almost an entire minute before she steps back, letting Sai catch his bearings once more. On most people, that would show itself as deeply inhaling or steadying themselves on their feet. Neither of those things happen to Sai as he drops down to his usual height.

Instead, he brushes a bit of dust from his shoulder and continues on towards the road. “Come on, Naruto will be waiting.”

* * *

The shadows in the hallway dance around them eerily as they run towards the source of the light. Tenzō looks to his left to see the determined look in Sakura’s eyes. It spurs him on. 

“Where are Sai and Naruto, damn it?” Sakura lets her yell reverberate down the seemingly never-ending corridor. Tenzō hopes they’re all right. He tries to reassure himself that splitting them up into pairs was a good idea--that his personal feelings didn’t have anything to do with it. 

But that would be a lie. 

Even if the logic behind the decision was sound, he realizes now that he’s been compromised. He’s been compromised ever since Sakura healed Naruto despite her own injuries. He was amazed by her compassion and strength, by her insecurity and self-doubt despite those things, captivated by everything about her. 

Putting Naruto and Sai together is not necessarily the smartest move, but above all else, he is responsible for keeping the medic ninja safe. That’s what he had told himself.

He can see his decision now for what it was, though, a gut decision based not on tactics or rules but on his thinly veiled feelings. How could he have let this happen? A team captain falling for one of his subordinates. It’s not explicitly prohibited, but it’s definitely frowned upon. There are too many instances of favouritism. Even he has fallen into the trap of prioritizing Sakura’s safety over that of the rest of the team or the objectives of the mission. 

The ground beneath their feet starts to shake, just in time for them to hear the explosion following it. It reminds him of the sharp tug from the seeds ingested by each member of Team Seven, calling him in two separate directions, one to Sakura standing next to him and the other to Naruto and Sai. 

“They’re this way!” Tenzō shouts, taking off down another corridor. 

Sakura nods and follows easily behind him. It takes a lot less time than it should for the flickering light to break away into the afternoon sun, both of them stopping in their tracks. 

Naruto isn’t far away, but he is clearly not the focus of anyone’s attention right now. Tenzō's mouth sets into a straight line at the sight of Sasuke Uchiha glowering down at them from the edge of the rubble. Sakura falters beside him, her breath catching. Out of everyone she could have loved, it had to be the one who left the village and her alongside it. 

But this isn’t the time to be jealous. Tenzō has to act objectively. But he isn’t the first to act, as Sasuke appears at Naruto’s side, seemingly not having moved at all. It’s as though he was standing there the whole time. Sakura gasps and Tenzō glances sideways at her, getting distracted by the anguish written across her face. 

“S-Sasuke-” But he isn’t paying her the slightest attention. “Sasuke!” 

She starts towards him and Naruto who are already starting to fight, not even bothering to grab a kunai from her pouch. It’s true what they say about love, Tenzō thinks as Sasuke turns towards Sakura, his sword held firm, eyes red as blood and cold as ice. It makes you blind. 

In an instant, Tenzō is in front of her, arms outstretched to block her from Sasuke’s heartless attack. Blood spurts out of his left shoulder as the sword sinks deep into him. The pain is nothing compared to the fear. Will he still go after her?

“Sasuke!” Sakura shrieks, but he has already turned his attention back to Naruto, who is charging at him, screaming wildly and flanked on either side by shadow clones. Sakura collapses next to Tenzō, realizing that Sasuke would have killed her with no remorse, and a single tear rolls down her cheek before she looks to Tenzō, her hands glowing green with chakra. It’s in this moment that Tenzō can see the change happen within her, as she turns away from Sasuke.

* * *

“Tenzō? Tenzō.” Kakashi waves his hand in front of Tenzō's face, snapping him out of his silent revery. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”

“R-right,” Tenzō manages to make out. Kakashi leans back in his chair, looking oddly out of place in behind the Hokage’s desk. Tenzō can tell he’s amused despite his lack of facial expression. 

“Look, if this is about the book you saw-” Kakashi starts, but Tenzō cuts him off. 

“You shouldn’t be reading porn in public anymore, even if everyone expects it from you.” Tenzō sighs and shakes his head. “That isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about though.” 

Kakashi nods, expectant. “Ah, I think I know what this is about. You’re worried about Naruto’s progress in learning about foreign relations.” 

“No, that’s not it either.” 

“They’re all out of naruto at the ramen stand?” 

“Kakashi! I’m seeing Sakura!” Tenzō screams, more aggressively than he would have liked. But now it’s out there. There’s no going back.

There’s a moment of pure silence that stretches on for what Tenzō thinks must be years, no more, decades. A bead of sweat slowly rolls down his neck, his breath rapidly increasing. Kakashi remains perfectly still. 

After what feels to Tenzō like an eternity, Kakashi breaks the silence. “I wasn’t aware that Sakura had such a strong preference for wood in the morning.”

Tenzō stares, wide eyed. “W-what?”

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Tenzō, for a ninja you’re not exactly subtle. It’s a good thing that when you were in ANBU, they had you wear a mask.” Tenzō gawks.

“Although I do have one question, regulations and all, you know how it is.” Kakashi’s voice is just as neutral as usual, but he suddenly leans closer to Tenzō over the desk, his one visible eye piercing into Tenzō's soul, causing him to lurch back, terrified. “Exactly how long have you been seeing each other, Yamato-t-a-i-c-h-o-u?” 

“But I thought-” 

Kakashi hums, leaning back in his chair. “You were thinking? That’s a dangerous pastime.” 

“Of course I was thinking! It isn’t like I just jumped into this without thinking about it first.” 

“That still seems to be up for debate.” Kakashi watches him carefully, and then the corners of his eyes wrinkle, like they always do when Kakashi is amused by something. “If I had to guess though, I would say that Sakura decided to take advantage of all that wood you’re always flashing around.” 

“K-Kakashi!” Tenzō stammers. Kakashi holds up a hand. 

“I’m not opposed, you’ll be relieved to know.” Tenzō sighs, as he is finally starting to get back the feeling in his limbs, but then Kakashi continues, “However, I still see team seven as those little genin brats fresh out of the academy. If you hurt her-” Kakashi stares him down, “Well, let’s just say you won’t have to worry about that little twig of yours again.”

* * *

Tenzō watches from behind a tree as Sasuke leaves the village. When he flicked Sakura’s forehead, Tenzō had to dig his nails into his palms to the point where they drew blood just to keep himself from jumping out and punching Sasuke then and there. But now she’s standing there all alone, the wind stirring her pink locks. She doesn’t look heartbroken. Just lonely. It might all be in his head, but ever since they got back to the village after that fateful encounter with Sasuke at Orochimaru’s hideout, she hasn’t been talking about him nearly as much.

No, it’s probably just in his head. Well, it has been over a year since then. Could things be different now? Crap, she’s walking his way. Tenzō inches deeper into the shade of the trees as Sakura passes by.

“I know you’re there. It’s fine. Come out, Tenzō.” 

Tenzō emerges from the shade of the trees, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I just wanted to make sure you’re ok. You checked in on me every day when I was in the hospital after the er- Sasuke-incident. I wanted to return the favour. If you’ll have me.” 

“I’ll have you,” Sakura says, simply. “But that doesn’t mean you had to trek all the way out here to see me say goodbye to Sasuke. Or, more accurately, attempt to stop him from running away again.” 

His cheeks flush automatically at the simple agreement. “Sorry, but I did. I know the situation between you and Sasuke is complicated, to say the least.” 

“It isn’t that complicated.” Sakura turns back towards the village, waving him along. “C’mon, let’s go back. I was planning on going to talk to you later tonight anyways, with the added bonus of a bottle of sake.” 

“You know, you really shouldn’t start picking up Tsunade’s bad habits,” Tenzō teases, falling in line beside her as they walk the familiar route to the bar. 

She glances at him from the corner of her eye. “Are you really going to tell me that now? It’s a bit late in the game.” 

He lets their shoulders bump together, but doesn’t say anything one way or another as they continue onwards. 

At the bar, Tenzō remains tense, looking for any signs of distress in Sakura’s demeanor, but he doesn’t see any, and he doesn’t trust it one bit. 

“More sake for me and my friend here please!” Sakura calls to the waitress walking by. Tenzō looks to the three empty cups in front of each of them. 

“Sakura,” he glances sheepishly at the water ring stain on the table, not making eye contact. “I want to tell you something, but I’m not sure now is the right time. But I can’t not say anything.” The waitress brings their sake, but Tenzō intercepts before Sakura can reach for hers. “I want you to remember this. To be able to think clearly.”

“What is it, Tenzō?” Sakura reaches out for his hand, and his heart almost explodes. He gulps and starts to second guess all of this. He can’t tell if this is her flirting or the sake or Sasuke leaving.

“I-” The words catch in the back of his throat. 

No matter how certain he is that he wants to do this now, the thought that Sakura is just acting like this because of her feelings for Sasuke keeps tripping him up. Her fingers wrapped around his burning hands, making the rest of him feel cold in comparison. 

Sakura squeezes gently, as if he could forget that she’s right there. “It’s alright, take your time.” 

“That really doesn’t matter.” Tenzō forces out an awkward laugh and then breathes in deeply, centering himself once more. “Sakura, I’m in love with you.” 

Sakura looks at him blankly. “I- I’m in love with you.” She doesn’t even blink. “Sakura-” But she cuts him off as she reaches across the table, grabbing his shirt and kissing him, sake spilling across the table. Not that either of them notice or care. 

It takes all the willpower he possesses to pull away. “Sakura, wait. I think you need some time. Don’t act too rashly on this. Take a week, maybe more. I want this to be because you also want this.”

“Because I also want-” Sakura cuts herself off with a shake of her head. “I know what I want, Tenzō.” 

“You’ve had a few drinks,” Tenzō points out. “You’ve had a few, and you’re hurt, and I don’t want either of those things to cloud your judgement. Besides, we have all the time in the world.” 

They have time, even if this next week or so will tug at the very edges of his patience. The only one responsible for putting him in this situation is himself though, because Tenzō could have waited until things got better. He could have waited until he was certain Sakura was over Sasuke and until they weren’t drinking at their favourite bar. But the words just wouldn’t stay inside any longer.

Sakura’s flushed face glares across the table at Tenzō, whose shirt is still bunched where she grabbed it. They both just take a minute to breathe, then Sakura slams money down on the table and stands up, saying “Fine, if it’s a week you want.” She proceeds to storm out of the bar, leaving Tenzō to his swirling mess of thoughts.

* * *

“So, how did it go?” Tenzō automatically grimaces, shifting to give Sakura enough room to sit down. She does and her head drops down to his shoulder as she softly exhales. “That bad?” 

“Yes- I mean, no, it wasn’t that bad.” Tenzō hesitates. “His reaction wasn’t that bad, at least. I mean, I’m still alive; it was what came afterwards that was worse.” 

Sakura frowns up at him. “What are you talking about?”

“The jokes. I’m talking about the dick jokes.” 

Sakura shifts over on the sofa to look at Tenzō directly. “The what jokes?” Her voice is low, but it gives Tenzō shivers. He gulps and tries to be nonchalant, but it’s him.

“It’s just Kakashi being Kakashi. Nothing to worry about. I have a feeling he’s known about this for a while, actually. He was just enjoying every moment of my complete and total pain.”

“Well, we’ve always known Kakashi-sensei is a bit of a sadist,” but she laughs as she says it, snuggling back into Tenzō's arm. 

“I take offence to that,” Kakashi says as he leans against the frame of the slightly opened screen door. Tenzō jumps right off the couch in surprise, staring from Sakura back to Kakashi, back to Sakura again, his mouth gaping open, but no sound comes out. 

Kakashi tilts his head to the side and holds out a basket in his hands. It’s filled almost entirely with different types of chocolate and a bottle of wine tucked into the back. No, Tenzō feels the horror start to set in. There is a lot more than just chocolate in that basket. At least one box of condoms is tucked into the front, and what appears to be a book sits beside the wine. Tenzō doesn’t need to look further to know who the author is. 

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?” Tenzō manages to force out. 

“We need to celebrate your relationship, don’t we?” Kakashi asks, feigning innocence. “It’s rude to turn down such a nice gift.” 

Tenzō immediately shakes his head. “No. Just, no, you’re not doing this. If I refuse to believe it, then this will just stop right now.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tenzō.” 

Sakura slowly rises off the sofa, almost serenely calm. It makes Tenzō shudder. This is the same as the time she attacked Sai. Twice. Tenzō knows there’s no point in stopping her, and quite frankly, he wouldn’t. 

“Kakashi-sensei, how thoughtful of you.” Sakura’s voice is silky smooth, but there’s a menacing hiss just below the surface. Even Kakashi’s eyes go a bit wider than usual. “But you really shouldn’t have.”

Tenzō braces himself for the explosion, but it doesn’t come. Instead, Sakura continues to slowly approach Kakashi, who’s still leaning against the door frame. She reaches out, takes the basket from Kakashi's hand, and gently places it on the floor. 

“Tenzō, sweetie.” 

Tenzō stiffens but manages to make out, “Yes?” 

“Won’t you come and thank Kakashi for his thoughtful gift.” She smiles at him, gesturing for him to come forward to where she’s standing, facing Kakashi.

Oh God. This is it. She’s going to make me kill Kakashi. This is how it ends. Tenzō exhales and steps over to stand next to Sakura, whose all consuming rage can be sensed if you step within a foot of her, like stepping into a fire.

Not listening to her when things get to this point is like telling the wind not to blow. “I- thank you for your thoughtful gift, Kakashi,” he says, almost making it a question. 

“And what do you say, Kakashi-sensei?” 

Kakashi hesitates, his gaze flickering towards Tenzō for only a brief moment. “You’re… welcome?” 

“Right.”

Sakura reaches out and closes the glass door with enough force to make the walls shake. The impact is somehow not lessened by the fact that they can still see Kakashi standing out on the balcony, unmoving. Even that only lasts for a brief moment before Sakura closes the curtains behind her, effectively cutting them off from the rest of the world. 

“I thought you were going to-” 

Sakura nods. “I was.” 

“But you didn’t?” Tenzō asks, helplessly. 

“I didn’t.” Sakura turns towards him, the air around her still as charged as it had been moments before. “Do you want to know why I didn’t?” 

“Yes.” Tenzō recoils a bit at how eager that one word came out but doesn’t bother to take it back, just waits for her answer. 

“I didn’t want to give him the instant gratification of getting a rise out of us.” She pauses, her eyes flaming, “But we will get our revenge. And it will be sweet.” 

Tenzō gulps and stares at her. Why does this make her more attractive? “What sort of revenge?”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something. Besides, the longer it takes, the more anxious Kakashi will get about it.” She smiles at Tenzō as she grabs a chocolate from the basket and pops it in her mouth.

“Now, will you open that bottle?”

* * *

Tenzō barely manages to unlatch the lock before Sakura bursts into his apartment, fuming. He is certain that if he had been a moment later, she would have broken down the door. 

“It’s only been two days, Sakura. What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to give this some time.” 

“You. You agreed to give this some time, and I’m finished with that.” Sakura quickly closes the distance between them, poking him in the middle of his chest. 

“S-Sakura?” 

“I’ve been trying to get you to say something for months now!” She huffs, angrily, not willing to stop now that she’s started. “I’ve flirted with you every chance I got, made sure that we got extra time together--do you know how difficult it was to convince Naruto that he didn’t need to stop by and check on you every day after the war was over?” 

“I thought- I just thought that Naruto was busy with other things,” Tenzō stutters.

“Damn it, Tenzō! We were busy with other things! Do you think just anyone would sneak sake into the hospital on your special request?” Tenzō feels his face flushing, and he wants to smack it to make sure he’s awake, but he resists the urge. 

“You mean all this time?” Sakura nods, the rage slowly extinguishing. Tenzō grabs hold of her hand before it drops to her side. “I’m sorry I took so long then.” 

“I would have said something. It was just awkward. With Sasuke hanging around, everyone seemed to expect me to do something about it, even you. But I fell out of love with him a long time ago,” she says as she lightly traces the scar she knows is hiding just under his shirt, running along his left shoulder. 

Tenzō blinks, shell-shocked. “Really, that long ago?” 

“Well, you see, this handsome captain of mine decided to selflessly jump in front of me. I think you might remember him. It probably wouldn’t have amounted to anything if he hadn’t continued to show me how much he cares.”

“It wasn’t... selfless. It was one of my most selfish moments. Looking back, I could have run him through instead, but I knew you would never forgive me.” Sakura gazes up at his agonized face in disbelief. 

“I just couldn’t help myself, Sakura. When I’m with you, I feel like I’m constantly having a heart attack. But when I’m not with you, my heart stops entirely.”

* * *

These are the sorts of days that Sai hates the most. Namely, they’re the days where the convenience store across from his house closes early, and he has to walk across the village to get to one that will surely be open at this time. He usually ends up surviving off of soldier pills on days like these, but something compelled him to go out tonight of all nights. 

“S-Sai!” Tsunade appears from the doorway of a gambling house, looking pointedly at him. She reminds him of Sakura, and he takes a step back automatically. 

“Why’re you avoiding me, Sai?” She has the same fire in her eyes too. He takes another step back. 

“Is something going on that I should know about?” Sai shakes his head. What an inconvenience. “That damn hat never did anything for me, but- but at least people didn’t try to hide things from me.” 

“Tsunade-sama, there is nothing to report.” 

She squints at him, her flushed cheeks tightening. “I don’t believe you.”

Sai sighs. Next time, he’ll be sure to take the route that has less people, even if it takes longer. 

“There must be some sort of gossip! I need to know, Sai!” 

He steps back again. This is getting eerily similar to what happened the other day with Sakura. “You and your student are far too much alike.” 

“Sakura?” Tsunade frowns at him, “How are Sakura and I alike?” 

“You mean despite the obvious, Tsunade-sama?” he asks, pulling out one of Sakura’s preferred fake smiles. “Well, last week she was threatening me in an alleyway after I found her pressing Yamato up against the wall, and now you’re on the verge of doing the same.” 

“Yamato-” 

Tsunade freezes, finally pulling herself up to her full height. It still doesn’t bring her up to his height, but a year without the Hokage’s hat hasn’t diminished her strength. 

“Sakura,” Tsunade pauses, “and Yamato?” 

Sai matter of factly replies, “Oh dear, I thought you knew. Oh well.” Tsunade’s eyes go wide. She balls her hands into fists, and Sai takes this as his moment to escape. 

“Oh you’re not going anywhere.” She grabs Sai and marches him along down the street with her. This is really not how Sai wanted the evening to go. “Tell me everything.”

“Well, I need to go to-”

“Not right now! Do you have any brains in that head of yours?”

Sai falls silently as he lets himself be dragged down the street. Even drunk, Tsunade’s grip on his arm is far too strong for him to have any chance of getting away now. 

The walk isn’t far, but Sai isn’t expected it to be. Anyone who was a shinobi knew where she lived for security reasons, and civilians were clueless enough that they would just look away as she pulled him inside, closing and then locking the door behind her. Tsunade hardly trips over her own feet while she makes her way into the kitchen. The expectation seems to be that he should follow her, and so he does, hesitantly. 

By the time he steps into the kitchen, Tsunade has already grabbed two cups from the cupboard. There’s a bottle of sake on the counter, already open, and she pours a cup for both of them, shoving one towards him. 

“Drink,” she orders, firmly, “then talk.”

Sai takes a sip, reluctantly, but there is no use in him resisting the Godaime. He starts in his monotone voice, “Yesterday at approximately eleven-forty-nine, I saw Sakura and Yamato walking down the street. Team Seven was supposed to be meeting for lunch, but they went into an alley in the opposite direction, so, I naturally followed them. Sakura had Yamato pressed up against the wall, and they were kissing. When they saw me, they broke apart and Sakura came after me.” 

Tsunade waits expectantly, but Sai has clearly finished his report. “That’s all?” 

“Well, when Sakura had me up against the wall, she asked for twenty-four hours for them to tell Kakashi.” Tsunade purses her lips and nods. 

“Interesting. So they’re serious enough to tell Kakashi, even if it’s only because you found them.” She downs her remaining sake, pushes back her chair, and starts towards the door, leaving Sai sitting in silence. “I’m going to go have a little chat with Tenzō.”

* * *

Sakura wakes to the light sound of tapping against her window. She smiles and rolls over, stretching and remembering yesterday--her confrontation with Tenzō. She’s glad she didn’t wait the whole week. She sighs happily and snuggles into her blanket, ignoring the noise, remembering the feeling of his warm arms wrapping around her. It must be the wind knocking the tree branch into her window again. She’s about to close her eyes and go back to sleep when the knock becomes louder. 

She frowns and crawls out of the warmth, wrapping her silky robe around herself as she tentatively slides open her window. “Tenzō?” 

He beams at her, blushing. “Sorry, is this a bad time?” He feels breathless as he realizes she must have just woken up. Sakura is wrapped in a light blue robe, and her hair messily frames her face. She’s impossibly beautiful, he thinks. She tucks a strand of pink hair behind her ear and blushes too. 

“No, your timing is perfect.”

“I can come back in a little while, you know,” he says. 

Sakura shakes her head and steps to the side. “You’re here now, so you might as well stay. Besides, you haven’t even explained what you’re doing here.” 

“A date.” His cheeks burn as he realizes just how eagerly he blurted that out, but continues. “I want to take you out on a date.” 

“Oh.” She smiles softly, closing the window behind him. Her robe suddenly feels impossibly thin, like there is really nothing between her and Tenzō. A date is worth far more than just falling into bed with each other though. “It’s a good thing I have you here to tell me what I need to dress for then.” 

“I-” 

Sakura starts towards the other side of the bedroom, throwing a smile over her shoulder. “You are going to stay while I get ready, aren’t you?” 

Tenzō flushes a shade more red, and he just stares at her. “I- I’ll wait in the living room,” he mutters and slips out of her room while Sakura laughs at his unease. 

“What do I need to dress for though?” Tenzō smiles and gestures towards the basket Sakura didn’t even notice he was holding. “A picnic.”

Once they reach a secluded clearing, deep in the cool shade of the trees, Tenzō finally lets himself take her hand. It’s even better than he imagined it would be. She’s impossibly soft and warm. She feels safe. Sakura smiles up at him as though she’s reading his mind, and honestly, he’s not surprised if she is.

“This is perfect,” Sakura sighs, nuzzling into Tenzō's arm. He almost drops the basket. He can’t help but smile. Tenzō carefully puts the basket down before he can actually ruin the lunch he spent the whole morning making.

“Shall we sit?” Sakura nods, still not letting go of his hand. Tenzō is still. His legs have forgotten how to function properly. They feel like rubber. How does he even sit down? How does he even breathe? Crap. He’s definitely over thinking this. 

“Tenzō?”

He swallows. “Yes?” 

“Are you okay? You look a bit off,” Sakura says, frowning up at him. She lets go of his hand and reaches up to rest the back of her hand on his forehead.

“It’s nothing. There is absolutely nothing that anyone needs to worry about.” Tenzō drops down to the ground almost fast enough to lose his balance. Nervous is not nearly strong enough to cover what he feels at the moment. 

Sakura joins him easily enough, her mouth still upturned in that small smile of hers. It hasn’t stopped since they left her apartment now, and Tenzō wishes she would stop, just for the state of his heart. It’s practically exploding with equal parts happiness and excitement. “Don’t worry, I’m nervous too.

“You don’t look like it.” 

“Good, that means it’ll be all the easier to do this,” she says, simply. Just as Tenzō opens his mouth to ask what, she grins wider and leans forward to kiss his cheek. “That’s part of what I had in mind.” 

“And the other part?” Tenzō asks, knowing his voice sounds shaky. 

Sakura blushes and is about to speak when they hear a loud crash coming from the edge of the clearing. Tenzō gapes as Gai kicks a tree so hard it actually topples over. Gai hasn’t noticed them yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Tenzō immediately scoots a few feet away from Sakura as though there’s a force field pushing him back. 

“Ah, yes, what better way to further a bond of mentorship than to have a picnic in the forest!” Tenzō gags but doesn’t actually formulate any words. He glances over at Sakura, who is just as hopeless with her mouth hanging open. Gai strolls up to them, a grin on his face, and--Tenzō breathes a sigh of relief--he doesn’t look angry or even suspicious. 

"Lee and I prefer to do cartwheels around the village together, but I understand that this isn't for everyone.” Sakura chokes back a laugh and looks over at Tenzō, who’s shaking with silent laughter. They make eye contact and both look away sheepishly. Thankfully, Gai doesn’t seem to notice.

Gai looks at them, clearly expecting some sort of answer. But Tenzō can’t quite manage to get his shoulders to stop shaking, and speaking would ruin it all. At the very least, Sakura seems to be in the same state as she hides her mouth behind her fingers. 

“Is this some sort of challenge?” Gai finally asks, his head tilting to the side. “You both normally embody the Power of Youth more fully than this. But if it’s a challenge, than I can understand the appeal of staying silent.” 

Sakura quickly glances towards Tenzō, almost beaming at him with her amusement, and then nods sharply. 

Gai brightens immediately. “A challenge for who can stay quiet the longest then! I can tell the both of you have a strong enough bond that words are not necessary for conversation anyways. Such is the healthy relationship between a teacher and a student. Although, I suppose that you don’t need a teacher anymore, Sakura, given your position at the hospital.” 

Sakura looks like someone caught stealing shuriken from the weapons store, and the expression only brings Tenzō that much closer to laughing. Only Gai would think this kind of teacher-student relationship was normal. 

But then Tenzō has to remind himself that he was never technically Sakura’s teacher. He was only the captain of the team she happened to be on. Then he immediately feels guilty for trying to think his way out of his slightly--ok totally--awkward and probably inappropriate relationship. But he doesn’t give a damn. Sakura likes him, and that’s all that really matters. 

Gai, still chuckling to himself and watching them fondly, straightens up and announces at top volume, “I’m going to go find Lee now, and we’re going to do our special training!” He beams down at them and runs off at full speed, yelling something about the Power of Youth and laughing maniacally to himself. 

Tenzō lets out a shaking breath and collapses into the laughter he’s been holding in since Gai’s appearance. Sakura follows suit, and before he knows it, they’re both curled up on the grass cackling like kids. He could get used to this, he thinks. 

Sakura wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and forces herself to sit up, still shaking. “Oh my god, Tenzō. Gai-sensei is so clueless.” Tenzō also pushes himself up and gazes at her fondly, smiling and blushing a bit. Ok, a lot. 

“So, he definitely doesn’t think anything is up?” Sakura nods, smiling at him almost gleefully, and his stomach flips. 

Luckily, it was Gai who found them instead of someone else. Any other jounin would have noticed that there was something going on between them in a heartbeat. Tenzō shuffles back over towards Sakura, his smile fading as the humour of Gai running into them starts to drain from his system. 

“Maybe we should try somewhere else?” he suggests. 

Sakura laughs lightly and shakes her head, reaching over to intertwine their fingers. “Gai has already come around this way. That means we won’t see anyone else around here for a while now, not unless they want to get caught up in one of his training regiments.”

“You do have a point.” Tenzō squeezes her fingers gently. Lunch is still in the basket, waiting for them, but he can’t bring himself to pull it out quite yet. “Everyone usually runs the other way, when they know Gai is going around like this.”

Sakura laughs and pulls the basket towards them, opening it. “Ok, Tenzō, what’s for lunch?”

[line break] 

Tenzō wakes to the sound of a loud crash and his walls shaking. Shit, he thinks as he sits bolt upright. Is this Sakura again? What has he done that would make her this mad?

He inches towards the door that’s still reverberating with loud knocking. He hesitates before unlatching it and freezes in his tracks when he sees who’s on the other side. Tsunade has her fist held up as though she’s about to knock, and it’s clenched uncomfortably close to Tenzō's face. He backs away, sputtering. “T-Tsunade-sama?” 

“Tenzō,” she slurs, elongating the ‘o.’ “We need to talk.” She pushes past him and unceremoniously flops herself down on his couch. This is wrong. Something must be very wrong. She can’t--no--wait--she can’t possibly know about Sakura? How? When? Did Kakashi tell her? He’s still frozen in place when Tsunade starts to glare at him through squinting eyes, her cheeks flushed. 

“Tenzō, come here and get that shocked look off your face.” 

“But-” 

“Sit down.” 

Tenzō has no choice but to obey, his body moving before he can even think about it. The edge of the couch is always a bit uncomfortable, but tonight it feels even worse than usual. Sleeping on rocks would make him feel more comfortable than he is right now. None of that means that coherent words are going to make their way out of his mouth anytime soon. 

She looks him over, contemplating. “Do you have a ring?” 

“I- what?” 

“A ring.” Even drunk in the middle of the night, Tsunade’s arm lays over the back of the couch, making her look surprisingly powerful. “You better not have gotten into a- a relationship with Shizune with thinking about a ring.” 

Tenzō blinks, momentarily caught off guard. “Shizune?” 

“What? Are you in a relationship with Shizune too? You better not be, because then I’ll have no choice but to kick your ass.” 

“No, no, I am most definitely not in a relationship with Shizune. The only person I’m interested in is Sakura, I promise.” 

A smirk breaks out across Tsunade’s face, almost sadistic. “You admit you’re in a relationship with Sakura then.” 

“Uh-”

“Unless you have something else you want to admit to me, Tenzō? I hope you’ll be able to remember how many bones there are in the adult male body once I’m done with you. Or once Sakura is done with you, because she’s more than capable of that herself,” Tsunade continues. 

Tenzō gulps and for a moment, he tries to remember how to breathe. This is it. This is how I’ll die, he thinks, wishing he could have had one last kiss from Sakura before he went out. 

“However,” Tsunade clears her throat to cover up the sounds of a hiccup, “as long as you are good to her, I will have no reason to use my extensive knowledge of human anatomy, or poisons for that matter.” Tenzō stares at her, wide eyed, but then Tsunade laughs and punches him lightly in the arm. Well, lightly for Tsunade, which will probably leave Tenzō with a nice bruise tomorrow. 

“Thank you, Tsunade-sama.” Tenzō knows his face is red. He takes a deep breath and looks down at his feet before muttering, “A ring?” as if to himself, but Tsunade hears it and bursts out laughing. 

She smacks him on the back for good measure and then looks seriously at him as she asks, “Do you have any sake?”

* * *

When Tenzō wakes, it takes him a minute to find his bearings. He squints one eye open, immediately closing it against the harsh florescent lighting. Great. The hospital. Then his last mission comes rushing back to him--jumping in front of Sasuke’s blade, falling over, seeing Sakura’s terrified face, then everything going dark. And now he’s here. “Sakura,” he mumbles, coming out of his daze and starting, hoping no one is around who could have heard the name he just involuntarily spoke.

“You’re awake!” Tenzō's whole body feels heavy and useless, but he still manages a smile at the voice. Sakura. 

“I’ve been worried sick, Yamato-taichou. You’ve been in here since last night.” Tenzō is finally starting to be able to feel his arms again, and he suddenly becomes aware that his hand is being squeezed. His face flushes, and he glances to Sakura, attempting to sit up.

“No you don’t. Lie back down and rest. I’ll get the nurse.” 

But Tenzō doesn’t let go of her hand. He clears his throat and rasps, “Are you hurt?” She just tilts her head and smiles down at him. He probably looks terrible. 

“Of course not; you jumped in the way so I wouldn’t. You’re the one that’s hurt.” She casts him a concerned glance as she closes the door behind her, already on her way to get the nurse. 

Tenzō can’t bring himself to do anything more than stare at the closed door as he waits for her to come back with the nurse. The nurse will undoubtedly give him one of those looks, regardless of which one is in charge today. That is probably what he gets for fleeing the hospital as soon as he can manage to get out of bed when he gets injured after missions. 

Then again, Kakashi has always been far worse about escaping hospitals than he is. 

The seconds tick by with no way to count them outside of his own head. Normally though, Tenzō is more than capable of sitting still and waiting for long periods of time, even when he doesn’t frame it within the context of a mission. But Sakura was there when he woke up, was holding his hand, and now he can’t get his heartbeat to slow back down again. 

He hears Sakura coming back with the nurse before he sees either of them, the door opening and closing once more. As expected, the nurse raises a slim eyebrow at the sight of him still lying in the hospital bed, but then continues onwards. 

“Before you try doing something stupid,” heat rises to his cheeks as he drops his head down onto the pillow, “you should at least know that Tsunade-sama and Sakura-chan are the only reason you managed to survive that hit.” 

His gut twinges at the reminder. “I- yes, I figured as much.” 

“Good, now, other than the usual range of cuts and bruises shinobi get from missions, you just have the one shoulder wound,” the nurse says, continuing without pause. “It narrowly managed to avoid any major organs, otherwise, you would have been dead without immediate medical attention. You should avoid any strenuous activity, especially including training, sparring, and sex. Your body doesn’t care how close you came to dying, celebrating needs to come after you’ve completely healed.” 

It feels like his cheeks are moments away from catching fire and resulting in his own death. At least that would be more forgiving than this conversation. Tenzō spares a glance towards Sakura, not at all relieved by the amused almost-smile she seems to be holding back. 

The nurse steps forward then, her hands lit with green chakra. It only takes her a moment to hold them over his chest before she’s drawing away again with a sigh. “Everything seems to be in order here. I trust you can take care of the rest, Sakura-chan?” 

“Of course,” Sakura says, beaming.

The nurse inclines her chin ever so slightly and then turns around to leave, likely onto the next patient.

Finally, they’re alone. Sakura sits on the edge of his bed. They’re not quite touching, but she’s so close Tenzō can feel her warmth heat up the few millimeters between them. He can hear his heartbeat picking up with the beeping of the machine, but he blushes and tries to ignore it. 

“I- I want to thank you, Yamato-taichou. I mean, for saving me--for jumping in front of me like that. It was really incredible.” She flashes him a smile that makes his heart stop for a moment all together. He doesn’t speak, but Sakura leans over and gently places a kiss on his forehead. It’s just a light brush of her lips, but Tenzō thinks this is the happiest he’s ever been. Also, his heart is exploding.

“It’s nothing,” he mumbles as his hands clench the hospital blanket, making creases. He takes a deep breath and manages, “And, call me Tenzō.” When he finally looks at her, Sakura’s blushing a little bit, and he thinks she’s absolutely beautiful when she does that. 

“Ok,” the pink of her cheeks deepen, but her lips curl up, “Tenzō.”

* * *

The only problem with the routine of early morning practices that him and Sakura have settled into, is that Sakura is no less stunning in the mornings than she is at any other time. She gives him a hint of a smile as he jumps back to avoid one of her punches. 

As usual, it doesn’t work. The punch only drives itself into the ground instead, sending pieces of rubble everywhere. Had Tenzō been a new enemy, instead of an old ally, he would have been sent straight into a state of confusion. Instead, he uses his mokuton to shield himself from flying pieces of rubble before charging towards her. 

A glimpse of her shoulders heaving from the effort almost distracts him, but Tenzō finally gets his head in the fight. The best way to stop Sakura from attacking is to restrain her. There’s no end to her supply of chakra, and her control over that chakra will never slip before his own does. Luckily, restraints are one of his specialties 

He brings his hands together as he charges forward, his mokuton sprouting from the earth alongside him. Sakura sprints towards him as well and dodges the mokuton by sliding down between his legs. 

They stop there, needing a moment to reevaluate. 

“Ah, the sight of Tenzō's wood in the morning. There’s nothing quite like it, eh Sakura?”

Tenzō nearly startles at the sight of Kakashi standing only a few feet in front of him. Or rather, he nearly startles at the sight of one of those damn Icha Icha books, right where he least expects it. 

“Kakashi-sensei, is there any particular reason you’re here?” Sakura is almost successful at keeping her voice level, but it isn’t nearly enough for the tone to pass Kakashi by. It has the subtle sharpness of a kunai.

Kakashi glances up from his book, the blood draining from the visible part of his face before he shuffles back. It isn’t too obvious, at least not until Kakashi jumps up onto one of the branches of a nearby tree. “I just came by to share my wisdom with both of you.” 

Tenzō snorts and raises an eyebrow. If this is why Kakashi decided to come bother them with more bad jokes, then he’s almost surprised Kakashi made it through working with ANBU. Only almost though, because everyone in the village has seen Kakashi at his worst. Sakura walks up beside him, their shoulders brushing.

Kakashi’s eyes are still glued to the pages of his book. “You know, eventually Naruto will find out, whether that knucklehead realizes it on his own, or more likely, someone tells him. Don’t you want him to find out from you two?”

Sakura clenches her fists and stares daggers at Kakashi, but she ruefully acknowledges that he’s right. Damn that man. She takes a deep breath and forces on a smile. “Of course we’re going to tell him. Well, I feel like I should probably tell him. I’ve known him since we were kids.”

Kakashi nods, looking just as unamused as ever, perched up on the branch, still engrossed in his book. Sakura has the sudden urge to steal all of Kakashi’s Icha Icha books and destroy them, making a mental note for her and Tenzō to later exact their revenge on him for what he had done the other night. 

Tenzō turns to look at her, grabbing her hand and lightly rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of her hand. She looks almost nervous; it’s not a look he normally sees on her. It makes his chest feel tight. “Are you sure you want it to be just you that tells him? I can be there too, if you want.” 

Sakura shakes her head. “No, it’s ok, Tenzō. This is something I owe him at least.” She glances up to the branch where Kakashi had been perched, but of course, he’s gone. That bastard. She sighs, “I’ll just buy him ramen and then tell him. That’ll butter him up. Hopefully.” 

Tenzō chuckles. “Well, if anything will, it’s Ichiraku.”

* * *

“I really don’t get why we have to do this,” Sakura mutters. 

“It’s important that the Fire Daimyo stays in power, and this will help ensure that,” Tenzō explains, even as he drops the blanket back onto the bed with a disgusted look. “He’s easier to control than the next in line.”

Sakura purposely looks around the dimly lit bedroom. “All we had to do to get in here was figure out when the guard changes. A genin could have done this.” 

“A genin would have never been allowed to do this.” His voice lacks the appropriate conviction though. 

The truth is that it took them about half an hour to get inside. There was a brief moment where Tenzō thought they would actually run into one of the guards, or there would be some sort of trap, but he was wrong. 

“But, what I meant was, I don’t get why we have to do this.” She gestures between Tenzō and herself, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh,” Tenzō splutters, going pink. He’s lucky the room is dark. “Well, to be perfectly honest, I lost a bet.”

Sakura looks at him quizzically, but he can tell she’s amused. He nods and continues, “Genma, me and a couple other guys were out the other night drinking, and he was complaining about a mission he had been assigned. We were all making fun of him for it, so we made a bet that the person who dropped out of our drinking competition first had to go on the mission.” Tenzō pauses and blushes down at the floor. 

Sakura has to cover her mouth to keep from laughing so loud it’ll alert the inept guards outside the door. 

He smiles and proceeds, “Well, clearly I lost.” Sakura shakes her head at him, still smiling. 

“Of course you did. I’ve had sake with you before. I think basically anyone could out-drink you.” She nudges his elbow teasingly, and it sends shivers down his whole body. He hopes she doesn’t notice. 

“But you still haven’t answered my whole question yet, Tenzō.” His stomach flips when Sakura says his name.

“I thought it would… be better if I had a medical nin with me?” Tenzō tries.

Sakura exhales sharply, very nearly a laugh. “We haven’t run into a single shinobi yet. And even then, you’re strong enough that you could handle one mission without me.” 

“Right, of course.” 

Tenzō purposely ignores Sakura’s gaze as he steps towards the bedside table. There has to be something incriminating in this room, or at least something embarrassing. Then again, the last time he was assigned to one of these missions, it just ended up awkward for everyone. 

“So,” Sakura says, stepping towards him, “we have about ten more minutes before someone starts to notice something’s wrong. That gives you ten minutes to tell me why you wanted me to come on this mission with you.” 

Tenzō freezes in place, the mission long forgotten. “I- wait, what?”

“Time is ticking, Tenzō, you should probably hurry up.”

“Or what, exactly?” 

He makes the mistake of finally glancing over his shoulder and looking Sakura in the eyes. The flush that covers his cheeks is hot and immediate, travelling all the way down the back of his neck and over his shoulders. 

“I’ll get it out of you… somehow.” Her eyes are practically on fire, and Tenzō gulps. Sakura giggles at his discomfort. 

Tenzō takes a deep breath and reluctantly nods, “Okay, the truth is, I thought it would be more fun if you came with me.”

He thinks that Sakura maybe flushes, just a little, and possibly the corners of her mouth turn up. But that’s probably all in his head. It’s just what he wants to see. He looks down at his feet awkwardly, not knowing what exactly to say next. He doesn’t have to say anything, though.

“That’s kind of sweet,” Sakura muses. Tenzō exhales and meets her eyes. Thank God. She’s smiling. “Although, you could have just asked me, you know. I like spending time with you too--like hanging out--you know.” She also looks down at her feet sheepishly. 

A confession is practically rolling off his tongue when something shifts outside the room. It isn’t enough to cause alarm, not at first, but then high-pitched giggles echo down the hall, making Tenzō remember exactly where he is. And exactly who he’s talking to. 

“We should-” He cuts himself off to look around the room, hoping to find anything that would embarrass this particular noble. 

“It’s fine, I’ve already taken care of it.” 

Tenzō stares at Sakura as she finally lifts her head again. Her usual casual self-confidence is back, and he doesn’t quite know if he’s relieved or disappointment. A bit of both is more likely. The laughter is getting louder though, and that means that they have to leave now or risk getting caught, and getting caught isn’t an option when they’re jounin. And not jounin who are Naruto or Gai. 

They slip out the window unnoticed and jump into the nearest tree. Both of them are smiling, but neither sees the other. 

Before long, they’re strolling side-by-side through the cool night air, leisurely paced so as to not make it back to the village too soon. Tenzō wishes this moment would never end, just him and Sakura under the stars, so close he could brush his arm against hers if he had the courage. Tenzō resists the urge to keep glancing over at her, but keeps looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. 

“We should do this again,” She says simply. Tenzō's heart flutters.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

* * *

“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it?” Tenzō asks, from his spot at his kitchen table. 

Sakura shoots a glare at him from over her shoulder before she goes back to securing her kunai pouch around her thigh. “I have to be the one to tell Naruto, and you know it. Besides, you would be thirty times worse if you were the one who had to tell him.” 

“It isn’t actually that bad.”

“Do I need to remind you of your state of mind before you told Kakashi-sensei, or after Tsunade-sama showed up at your door?” she says, pointedly. 

Tenzō quickly shakes his head, even though she isn’t looking at him. “Uh, no, I think I can remember that just fine.”

“Good, I would hate for you to be suffering from amnesia. It hasn’t even been a week.” 

Sakura straightens back up again, and then runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. It looks exactly the same as it had before, but it seems to make her feel a bit better, so Tenzō doesn’t bother mentioning that. At least, a little bit better, because she stalks off towards the bedroom again, in search of one item or another. 

Only when she comes back out, there’s a pursed frown on her face. “I meant to bring my perfume with me.” 

“Your perfume?” Tenzō asks, faintly. “But you’re going to see Naruto.” 

“I’m also leaving this apartment. Where I’m going exactly doesn’t particularly matter.” 

He hesitates, faintly. “Are you… okay?” 

“Do I look like I’m okay to you?” She doesn’t mean to snap at him, but it’s too late to take it back. Sakura buries her face in her hands and sighs, peeking through her fingers at Tenzō, who’s sitting at the table with a concerned look. He gets up and is in front of her in a flash, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. 

“I know it’s nerve-wracking. Believe me.” Tenzō rests his chin on her pink hair. “But it’s just Naruto, so don’t worry so much.” He sighs in relief when he can feel Sakura smile against his chest. She pulls him in even tighter, if that’s possible, and they stay still for a few minutes, just holding each other. 

When they do break apart, Sakura’s smile has returned. Tenzō beams down at her, saying “It’ll be fine. But you should get going. You don’t want to be late.” But before he releases her fully, he leans in and kisses her forehead tenderly. He sighs and lets his hands drop. 

“Okay, I’m going; I’m going. If I’m not back in two hours, it’s probably because I had to kill Naruto.” She laughs and moves over to rest her hand on the door knob. “See you later, Tenzō.”

Her walk to Ichiraku Ramen is just as uneventful as it’s always been. Even before her and Tenzō were together, she could walk from his place to the ramen shop with her eyes closed. If anything, she’s just expecting something to happen, and that makes her a bit jumpy the entire way there. 

It turns out that worrying about something happening before she gets there is useless. Naruto, always late when it comes to anything other than ramen, is already sitting at the counter with a bowl of steaming ramen in front of him. There’s another in the spot next to him, likely meant for her, but Sakura doesn’t think she can so much as consider eating it right now. Her stomach is in far too much turmoil for that. 

God, is this what Tenzō always feels like? Sakura asks herself, making a mental note to hold that poor man tight and never let go when she gets back later. 

“Hey, Naruto,” she says, forcing herself into the seat beside him. 

Naruto immediately turns and beams at her, swallowing his mouthful of food. “Hey, Sakura-chan! I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you.” 

“Maybe I wanted to try something new today.” 

Naruto’s smile falters. “I can always ask for something else.” 

“No, no, that’s fine. I just-” Sakura cuts herself off and makes herself look into Naruto’s concerned gaze. “I didn’t actually want to try something new. And it’s fine that you ordered for me. I’m just a little off today.” 

Naruto’s face immediately reveals his concern, and his abnormally bright blue eyes darken. “Sakura, what’s going on? You’re okay, right?”

Sakura looks away from his eyes, because she knows if she sees the concern in them, it’ll all just spill out, and she had worked on her speech for too long to blurt everything out. She reaches out for chopsticks as a distraction, breaking them apart, glad for her hands to have something to do. 

“Sakura, what is everyone keeping from me? I mean, it’s not just today you’ve been acting weird. You haven’t really looked me in the eyes for weeks now.” Naruto tries for a smile, and reaches up to rub the back of his neck. 

Sakura knows Naruto won’t let this go now that he knows something is clearly going on. There’s no point in putting this off any longer. She rips off the band-aid. “I’m dating Tenzō.” 

She looks up, finally making eye contact with Naruto. His facial expression doesn’t change. It’s like he didn’t even register what she was saying. He just sits there in silence, unmoving, which is a miracle in itself, because that knucklehead never stops fidgeting. 

“Naruto? Are you okay? I’m sorry you’re the last one to know. I just didn’t know how to tell you. I was afraid of how you would react.” She mumbles down at her untouched ramen, “And I wasn’t expecting you not to react at all.”

Naruto’s silence lasts for a few moments longer before he starts to laugh. “That’s a really bad joke! You and Yamato-taichou? Since when?” Naruto asks, playing along. 

“Since a few months ago, actually,” Sakura says, her resolve growing. 

He shakes his head, and piles more noodles into his mouth. “You don’t- ah, you don’t need to keep joking around like that, Sakura-chan. You and Tenzō being together is about as likely as Gaara and Lee being together.” 

Sakura opens her mouth briefly, about to interject, but getting into that topic will only steer this conversation somewhere else entirely. She glares at Naruto, who is by this point choking on his ramen from laughing too hard, and she hits him on the head to get his attention back. 

“I’m serious, you twerp! Stop laughing!” This has the opposite effect of what she intends, as Naruto dissolves into more laughter, though rubbing the rapidly forming bump on his head. 

“I’m sorry, Sakura. It’s just too funny.” He wipes a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye and sits up straight, finally containing himself. Sakura takes a deep breath before she continues.

“Naruto, I love him.” She lets the words fill the space between them, almost seeing them take physical form. Naruto just stares. 

“Wait, what?” he finally asks, his smile disappearing. 

“I love Tenzō,” she repeats, and the words come more easily now. It’s a relief, and she feels herself start to smile. Naruto’s face doesn’t so much as flicker. “Tenzō and I are in a relationship.” 

The corner of his mouth twitches. 

“We are in a committed relationship.” Sakura is fairly certainly Naruto has stopped breathing now. “Every Friday night for the last month, I’ve been spending the night at his house.” 

“Wait-” 

“Sometimes, he spends the night at my house too, Naruto. He takes me on dates and takes care of me and loves me. I thought you would be happy.” 

Naruto is full-on gaping at her, his ramen long since forgotten. “Please, stop.” 

“Are you not happy for me?” she asks, dangerously. 

“Uh.” 

Her smile grows. “Tenzō and I have sex-” 

“Ahhhhh!” Naruto screams, covering his ears. “No more, I beg you!” This time it’s Sakura’s turn to laugh. 

“Now that I have your attention, are you okay with this? I just want to make sure you don’t feel weird about it.” She clenches her hands below the counter of the ramen shop, waiting for his response.

“Sakura, as long as you are happy--and never mention your sex life with Yamato-taichou to me ever again--then I’m happy.” 

Sakura blushes but smiles, nodding in agreement. She finally digs into her ramen, suddenly famished.

* * *

Tenzō breathes in the cool night air, filtering through the open screen door. Everything is quiet. Everything is still. Everything is perfect. He can’t tear the smile from his face as he glances down at Sakura’s peaceful face. She’s sleeping, nestled into his side like it’s the most natural thing. This is perfect. 

Maybe Sakura will never know just how much she means to him, or just exactly how much he loves her. It isn’t something new, and it certainly isn’t something that appeared overnight, even if his admiration for her was immediate. He shifts slightly to pull her closer, and she lets out a soft sigh as she moves. It feels like nothing can interrupt them here, despite time having proven that not to be true.

“Tenzō,” she sighs, her eyes briefly flickering open, “please, sleep.” 

He just smiles, delicately brushing the strands of hair from her face, his fingertips like whispers against her cheek. “I’m good like this.” 

And it’s true. This is exactly where he wants to be. He could stay like this forever. Sakura nuzzled into him, spreading her warmth, resting her head against him, feeling her heart beat faintly against his chest. It’s just right.


End file.
